Johni044's rainbow workbench, WIP on any boxes that aren't blue

[Johni044]

Work nears completion on the 5 sqd F6:



And some fettling required on the GR3 caused by an awful first set:

[VOODOO101]

One of the first Airfix kits I built was the Wildcat,nice work.
Great looking F-6 .
The GR3 is my favourite Harrier,hope you get it sorted.
Dave

[Johni044]

Finished one of the Lightnings.

Airfix 1/48 Lightning F6 XS903 (09178)
No. 5 Squadron RAF Binbrook, UK, 1984
2012#10












Brush painted as still too nervous to use airbrush, OOB whith initial release decals.

Just off to crack open a Hustler!

[DH764]

Beautiful Lightning John
I wouldnt worry too much about airbrushing....your paint job looks spot on !

Andy

[jelly071]

Great Lightning john

[Johni044]

Decals finished on the GR3 apart from the canopy and the outriggers. After a little research I noticed that GR3's were fitted with transponders under the LRMTS for the South Atlantic, so I had an attempt at making one from plastic sheet. Not something I do a lot of but it looks ok to me (easily pleased).

[VOODOO101]

It looks fine John,great work on the LIGHTNING.
Dave

[AndrewR]

Nice work on the Lightning and the Harrier.

[Johni044]

Airfix 1/48 Harrier GR3 (05102)
XZ963 1 Sqd Falklands 1982
2012#11



On the late afternoon of the 28th May a three ship formation from number 1 squadron took part in a ground support mission against Argentine artillery which had halted the advance on Goose Green by the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment. The aircraft of Squadron Leader Peter Harris and Tony Harper were armed with 1,000lb parachute retard cluster bombs, that of Jerry Pook carried two 2-in (50.8mm) rocket pods. Watching the attack was Major Chris Keeble who had taken command of the paratroop battalion earlier in the day after the death of Colonel ‘H’ Jones.
“They came streaking in, one behind the other: each dropped bombs, some on the tip of the peninsula and others at the entrance of the isthmus. Then I heard the cluster bomblets going off, their explosions merging together; it looked as though some hit the sea - there was an effect like throwing gravel into water. Then came the rockets which were most effective, they hit the peninsula where the 35mm guns were. The attack gave a great boost to the moral of our troops. I think some of them thought the Harriers had come a bit too close for comfort, but that is war.”

The attack was a textbook example of a close air support mission, a hard-hitting surprise attack against a target of great importance to the enemy, launched at a critical time in the land battle and whose results were clearly seen by the ground troops, so strengthening the resolve of those on one side and demoralizing those on the other.

In earlier action on the 21st May XZ963 had straffed and destroyed Argentine Chinook AE-521and contributed in the destruction of Argentine Puma AE-501 with gunfire. However on the 30th May XZ963 was hit be ground fire over Post Stanley which ruptured its fuel tanks, the Harrier crashed some 30 miles from HMS Hermes due to fuel exhaustion. Jerry Pook safely ejected but had to wait several uncomfortable hours adrift before being rescued.








This was the first kit I bought off E Bay in 2004 (the receipt was still in the box), I do not think this is one of Airfix’s finest releases especially if compared to there latest offerings, however it does build up relatively easily and give a good representation of the GR3. Hopefully the new release will have be better, if not least by using a bit softer plastic. Had major problems with decals and had to get a couple of after market sets to complete, this was mainly due to the age of them and should not be an issue on the re-released version. Just hope a chin transponder is included if it’s being advertised as a Falklands example.

[jelly071]

Very Nice John

[Johni044]

Thanks all, having family stay and SWMBO wanting the Kitchen, Living Room, Dinning Room and Hall Stairs and Landing decorated have eaten into my spare time of late.

But I have been able to finish off the second EE Lightning so here is :
Airfix 1/48 English Electric Lightning F6 XR769 (09178)
No. 11 Squadron, RAF, Binbrook, U.K. 1986
2012#13



This was also built from the initial release kit using one of the decal options supplied, the advantage of doing one camouflaged and one low viz is that I now have virtually a complete set of decals for the spares folder.

XR769 is unfortunate in that it was the 74th and last Lightning to be lost in 34 years of frontline RAF service when it suffered and engine fire over the North Sea on the 11th April 1988. The pilot, Flt Lt Dick Coleman, an exchange pilot from the Royal Australian Air Force, safely ejected. The full incident is covered in Ian Black’s excellent book “Last of the Lightnings” Sutton Publishing, ISBN 0 7509 3073 X.

As you can will be able to tell I really like this kit, just leaves me with 2 F6’s and a F1 in the stash for future delectation.

[CPNGROATS]

Wonderful stuff....!!

[DH764]

Brill John

Andy

[Johni044]

Hello all, been a little quite on the building front since the X32A build was finished. Well I’m signed up to a Naval Aviation GB on the ATF for which I’m doing all in 1:72.

An Airfix Lynx, at the moment thinking of Brazilian markings:

Never made a Lynx before and quite impressed, problems so far is that the rotorhead is short shot, and the bench seat in the cabin goes nowhere near the locating holes in the cabin floor. (Wait ‘till Revell’s 1:32 version comes out in a few months )

A F14 Tomcat for which I have some Blue Angel decals which I shall be trying to use in a “what if”


Also an F18A Hornet which I looking to do in VFA-15 markings. I’m a bit further on with this one, going to get some filler on tonight but I think I’ll have to use some plastic card on the port leading edge



When I pulled out the Airfix 90 years of fighters set to use the YF22 I came across an unstarted FW190A with markings for Oberstieutnant Josef ‘Pips’ Priller. Well it’s not unstarted anymore:



First time I’ve tried cotton buds to do camo. Quite happy with it for a first attempt. Should get some Matt varnish on tonight and mask off the canopy. Don’t have any spare swastika’s so I think I’ll be ordering some from Hannants next week.

TTFN, to borrow a phrase from Bruce and Tess. Keeep Modelling

[CPNGROATS]

Nice FW, not done until the "dreaded" crooked cross gets applied....

Cheers,
ggc